Congressional Efforts to Protect Children from Inappropriate Online Content
In October 2000, Congress passed the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) of 2000. The law conditions the receipt of certain federal funding on educational institutions' adoption of technological protections and Internet safety policies. Sections 1712 and 1721 of CIPA, involving the use of filtered Internet access on public computers in libraries, were challenged in court as unconstitutional. In May 2002, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania struck down these provisions of CIPA as unconstitutional, stating that a technology's tendency to overblock material prohibits the flow of protected speech to library patrons. Under a provision within CIPA, providing for a fast-track appeals process requiring any appeals to be heard by the Supreme Court, the Justice Department appealed the court's decision to the Supreme Court. The Court agreed to review CIPA and heard oral arguments in March 2003.

Federal Trade Commission - FTC
The Federal Trade Commission is the supervisory body appointed by the Federal Government to protect the rights, privileges and safety of consumers. The FTC takes specific interest in the safeguarding of privacy between parents, schoolchildren and education professionals, with particular emphasis on protecting children under the age of 13 years. The FTC has established new rules for website operators to make sure that kids' privacy is protected while they're online. These rules are part of the 1998 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The FTC rules interpret CIPA as encouraging educational institutions to adopt both technological and non-technological measures to protect children online. FTC regulations require schools and libraries to certify that they have adopted:

An Internet safety policy that blocks and filters certain visual depictions for both minors and adults

An Internet safety policy that includes monitoring

An Internet safety policy that addresses: access to inappropriate material; email,
chat, and other forms of electronic communications; hacking; disclosure of a
minor's personal information; and measures restricting material that is harmful to minors

Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
Ammends Title XVII sections 1701-1733 to require installation of filtering software on computers used to access the Internet for schools and libraries seeking funding under Museum and Library Services Act or that receive universal service discounts on telecommunication rates. Passed by Congress December 15, 2000 (H.R. 4577). Signed into law by President Clinton December 21, 2000 (Public Law 106-554).
Additionally, libraries and schools that receive E-Rate support must also comply with the Neighborhood Children's Internet Protection Act (N-CIPA), which requires the adoption of very detailed Internet Safety Policies.

Children's Online Privacy Protection Act - COPPA
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), passed by Congress in October 1998, requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to issue and enforce rules concerning children's online privacy. The FTC issued the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule in November 1999; it has been in effect since April 21, 2000. The
Rule's primary goal: to place parents in control over what information is collected from their children online.